Science: Supersonic Bail-Out

The hair-raising story of the first pilot to bail out of an airplane at
supersonic speedand live to tell at least part of the talewas
released this week by North American Aviation, Inc.

On Feb. 26, Test Pilot George Smith, 31, left his bachelor apartment in
Manhattan Beach, Calif, to buy groceries. It was a Saturday, and he was
not supposed to be working, but he stopped at the North American plant
to turn in some test-flight reports. Just as Smith headed toward his
battered Mercury to go home, Dispatcher Bob Gallahue asked him to
flight-test a new F-100A jet fighter so...